Apollo heroes call on Americans to save US spaceflight programme

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Heroes of the Apollo 13 Moon mission have called on the public to help to save America’s manned spaceflight programme as President Obama prepares to defend his plans to scrap it.

At an appearance marking the 40th anniversary of the lunar expedition that turned into one of history’s greatest rescue stories, the retired astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise urged people to lobby Congress to block the President’s proposal and throw Constellation a lifeline.

Their call came as Sy Liebergot, one of the mission control experts who masterminded their recovery in 1970, told The Times: “Back then we were excited.